Former Detroit Tigers Pitcher Suddenly Passes Away in Tragic Accident
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The Detroit Tigers received some sad news on Tuesday after learning that former relief pitcher Octavio Dotel suddenly passed away.
Dotel, 53, died during a tragic accident Tuesday morning in the Dominican Republic. According to the Dominican National Police, Dotel was one of over 60 people who lost their lives when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during a concert.
Former MLB player Tony Blanco and Nelson Cruz's sister, Nelsy, were also among the casualties. Approximately 160 people were injured in the accident as well.
Dotel pitched for 13 different Major League teams (second-most all-time) during his 15-year career from 1999 to 2013, including the Tigers. The team's social media account shared a post mourning his loss on X.
We are saddened to learn of the passing of former pitcher Octavio Dotel. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones as well as all those affected by this tragedy in the Dominican Republic.⁰⁰Dotel played in Detroit for two seasons at the end of his 15-year career, including… pic.twitter.com/hKrbMsyVSu
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 8, 2025
Dotel spent his final two seasons with Detroit, joining the Tigers after winning the 2011 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Detroit was his 13th MLB team, setting a record that was later broken by Edwin Jackson in 2019.
The veteran righty immediately returned to the Fall Classic in 2012, helping the Tigers win the American League pennant. He contributed five scoreless innings during their playoff run, including 1.2 shutout innings in their World Series loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Dotel came back with Detroit for the 2013 campaign, but missed most of the year with right elbow inflammation after helping the Dominican Republic win the World Baseball Classic. He appeared in just six games that season with a 13.50 ERA and did not pitch in the playoffs.
He made his final MLB appearance on April 19, 2013, against the Los Angeles Angels, although he didn't officially announce his retirement until after the 2014 season.
In his two seasons with the Tigers, Dotel made 63 appearances and went 5-3 with a 4.31 ERA, a 2.42 FIP and a 1.21 WHIP over 62.2 innings, remaining effective into his late thirties.
Dotel appeared in 758 MLB games over the span of his career, going 59-50 with a 3.78 ERA (119 ERA+), 109 saves and 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings. His career 10.8 K/9 rate is among the highest ever for a relief pitcher with over 900 innings, and he's one of only a few players to win both a World Series and a World Baseball Classic.
Despite frequently changing teams, Dotel was one of baseball's best and most dependable relief pitchers for more than a decade, Tigers fans got to see that first-hand, and they'll always remember him fondly for his contributions to their most recent pennant winner.
